DISCOVER TRAVEL WITH MEANING
Silk Trade & Pilgrim Routes of Armenia
A journey from the sophisticated streets of Yerevan to the mountains of Southern Armenia discovering the hidden trade and pilgrim routes and among the ancient and modern villages of rural Armenia
Journey essentials
- 13 days/12 nights from Yerevan
- Internationally and locally led
- 3 nights in a high quality, boutique hotel in Yerevan
- 3 nights in hotels in Southern Armenia (Goris and Yeghegis)
- 6 nights supported camp trekking in Southern Armenia (Supported by 4WD vehicle to transport luggage and equipment)
- 7 days of moderate trekking in total.
__Journey dates:__ __2027__ - 23rd May to 4th June
__Price 2027: US$3,600 (about £2,700) based on single person sharing (excluding flights)__
Summary Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Yerevan
Day 2: Exploration of Yerevan and the museums shops and sites of the city. Evening welcome dinner.
Day 3: Drive to the Areni wine area and Khachik. Visiting the oldest winery in the world and wine tasting in a modern organic winery before ascending to be hosted at a community camp in the mountain village of Khachik.
Day 4: Trek (round 3 to 4 hours|) from Khachik and drive to the village of Vaghatin: A half day trek finishing in the iconic Noravank Monastery complex and a drive to the village of Varhatin at the start of the Vorotan Canyon.
Day 5: Trek through the Vorotan Canyon (5 to 6 hours) to the 'Ghost Village' of Harzis: A stunning trek through forests and to a stunning deserted village and camp site.
Day 6: A day exploring Harzis and wild foraging and identification of plants with local experts: finishing with a meal cooked with foraged wild herbs on a camp fire under the stunning Armenian skies.
Day 7: Trek to Tatev Monastery and the village of Tanzatap (6 to 7 hours): A stunning trek into the deeper Vorotan canyon, across an ancient bridge and up to the iconic Tatev Monastery perched on the edge of the Vorotan. Then a short descent to the rural village of Tanzatap where we will be hosted for a community dinner.
Day 8: Trek to the village of Badzravan with stunning views across the Votrotan (5-6 hours): A trek through forest to teh high vantage point of Badzravan.
Day 9: Trek to the stunning Khot Ghost Village and bus to Goris town: Our final trek treversing the Vorotan Canyon and finishing at the stunning ghost village of Khot for drinks. A short bus to the town of Goros and a hotel bed.
Day 10: Old Khndzoresk Cave Village, Carahunj and to Yeghegis: A non trek day exploring the ancient cave settlement of Old Khndzoresk, the prehistoric standing stones of Carahunj and arriving by car at Yeghegis village.
Day 11: Trek above Yeghegis to the stunning Smbataberd Fortress and Tshakats Kar Monastery (around 4 hours|): Second night in a hotel in Yaghegis.
Day 12: Drive to Yerevan (3 hours) and an afternoon to explore the city and museums.
Day 13: Departure from Yerevan
A scenic, cultural and historic journey
Journey highlights
- Historical and cultural sites of the sophisticated city of Yerevan
- Discovering Armenia’s 6000 year old wine making tradition (and collecting modern wine for our journey)
- Traveling to stay at the remote mountain village of Khachik to watch the sun descend behind soaring snow-capped Mount Ararat (5137M)
- Exploring the habitat of the Caucasian Leopard and the impressive Bezoar Goat with WWF community rangers as part of a collaboration to support emerging Ecco-tourism in Armenia
- Pioneering a route through the Vorotan River Gorge that has not been walked by other trekking groups.
- Travelling along hidden trails, village paths and mountain tracks and through natural forest, high mountain pastures and rocky hillsides with stunning views.
- Spending a day with locals and experts to discover the wild mountain flowers and plants and forage for the ubiquitous herbs and plants to add to a camp dinner.
- Staying in and exploring the ancient ghost villages that were evacuated during the soviet era.
- Staying beside mountain villages far from any tourist trail and in villages where groups have never stayed before.
- Having local villagers host or join us for meals to explore the food, culture, history, and modern life of rural Armenia.
- Discovering well known but also hidden ancient churches, monasteries, cave cities and monuments of a truly ancient land.
- Puzzling about the meaning of the prehistoric standing stones of Zorats Karer reputed to be an ancient celestial observatory.
Background of the journey
Our founder, Gavin Anderson, has advised on rural development projects in Armenia for more than 13 years, building relationships with small local development organisations, conservation bodies and mountain communities.
This unique journey was developed in collaboration with a small local rural development organisation (SDA), The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Armenia, local mountain communities and Gevorg Gasparyen a leading mountain climber trek leader, who Gavin first met around 12 years ago when he was working as a veterinarian adviser in hill communities in rural Armenia.
Map of our Journey
Silk Trade and pilgrim routes of Southern Armenia
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
"I have been to over 120 countries and Armenia was one of the trips of my lifetime. It’s an amazing blend of spectacular scenery, rich history and wonderful people. We are already planning our next trip with Nomadic Skies"
Dave Wendler
Washington DC, USA
"Such a brilliant adventure. I loved the mix of trekking and roughing it on the one hand, and luxury and culture on the other, and staying in villages and meeting local people is so much more valuable than the mainstream tourism experience. One of the best holidays I've ever had"
Geraint Roberts
Scotland, UK
"The trek wasn’t just “a holiday”. Armenian places, people, history, culture and food, the wonderful flora and fauna. We experienced it all in an unforgettable 12 days."
Andy Reeve
Scotland, UK
"This was an absolutely outstanding tour and right up there with the best we have ever had. This would appeal to anybody with a sense of adventure and looking for real interaction with local communities. The scenery was out of this world but what made the trip was the history and spirituality of the local Armenian people….highly recommended."
Nick Hudon
London, UK
"Our friends and family asked us, “why Armenia?” when we told them we were going on a trekking trip with Nomadic Skies. The answer is easy: the people are warm and hospitable; the landscapes are breath-taking; the food is beautiful and delicious; and the culture and history are rich and so deserving of broader understanding. Nomadic Skies offers a unique opportunity to have an authentic, local, off-the-beaten path experience in Armenia. This was our second journey with them and we absolutely loved it."
Leah and Mike Gibbons
Washington DC, USA
"Our trip to Armenia with Nomadic Skies could not have been better. We were able to experience the beauty of the landscape and the people of Armenia, often well off the tourist path. We loved learning about the rich history of the country and enjoyed fabulous food and wine all along the way."
Laura Tiehen
Washington DC, USA
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Hill Cottage, Mill St, Ullapool,
Wester Ross, Scotland
IV26 2UN
gavin.anderson@nomadicskies.com
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